Sweet Cravings: My Issue With It

Snacks and Chocolate Have Been a Big Part of My Identity

I crave for sweet food and snacks since I was this little kiddy, this fact has been my identity and well known among those who knows me. Until my teeth got sensitive with sugar, I reduced sugar intake a little but this will not stop me to the chocolate, cheesecakes, gummy bears candy, biscuits, basically any light food I can reach to. Also after becoming a vegan, this lifestyle has tremendously reduce my intake on dairy chocolate, cheesecakes and egg tarts. BUT, after 3 months, I started to have some cheat days during the weekend where I would hang out with beloved and friends. I realised once I have taken more sugar, my body would crave for more.

When we have to choose between emotions and logic, we will always choose emotions over logic. Like pleasure over pain.

One more reason for acne to pop up

I know the impact of consuming more sugar and snacks, it will increase my belly fat and cause inflammation to my body and acne on face. The thing is, there is something within me which I found myself kind of stuck and needed something to de-stress, it has been a habit for me to find something to chew on. So, even I am aware of the effect, I would still ‘reward’ myself instantly that I need to treat myself ‘good’. Something to boast my mood eh!

But, the ‘I feel Good’ does not last long and i feel more exhausted and tired after the sugar rush, so I went to watch a documentary online named “That Sugar Film”, Damon Gameau documents the effects of eating supposedly healthy foods that contain high amounts of sugar and experiment it himself. Great tool for awareness I would say. Then, I went to find out more about why do we crave for sugar and the impact of sugar overconsumption on our body and mental health. That, I learned to really take care of my diet. But avoiding sugar is extremely difficult where in the food industry, sugar is in everything.

Why constant strive for snacks & sugar?

One reason may be eating a lot of refined carbs which burn quickly in body, spikes up blood sugar, low glucose levels triggers hunger hormones, crave for more carbs.

Or we may just be thirsty at times, our hypothalamus regulates hunger and thirst, sometimes mix up signals for food. Good news isn’t?

I am here to share my problems, findings and solutions. Next, I will be sharing on how I deal with it when my cravings visit me. This is going to be an on-going process where it needs a certain level of awareness. But first, it starts with acknowledgement of the problem. This is my current problem which it drains my energy and health.

Some of my discoveries about sugar:

Sugar > addictive than Cocaine? Sugar does induce the same responses in the region of the brain known as the “reward centre” as nicotine, cocaine, heroin and alcohol.It is highly addictive maybe more addictive than substances like cocaine. (source)

Sugar = Acne? Sugar’s oxidative properties can provoke acne and breakouts. Sugar and foods high on the glycemic index (meaning foods that, once ingested, convert quickly into glucose and cause your body’s insulin levels to elevate), lead to a burst of inflammation that goes throughout your entire body. Foods high in sugar and saturated fats – like white bread, candy, fried foods, ice cream, sodas, and anything else with a main ingredient of sugar – cause spikes in your body’s insulin levels that further exacerbate inflammation. Steep insulin spikes increase the production of skin oils and contribute to the clogging of follicles, which can worsen skin complexion. (source)

Bread = sugar? The starches in bread get broken down quickly in the digestive tract and enter the bloodstream as glucose. This causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. Even whole wheat bread spikes blood sugar faster than many candy bars. (source)

Apple juice fructose = Coca-cola sugar? 12 ounces of 100% apple juice, a fairly common portion size, contains 10 teaspoons of sugar – the same amount found in a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola KO -0.03%. The same portion of orange juice contains nine teaspoons while grape juice contains a whopping 15 teaspoons of sugar. (source)

Sugar hardwire on brain = habits. Regular consumption of food high in sugar is often a result of habit and association, which lead to neurochemical changes in the brain that can hardwire you to crave these types of foods,” Osinga. (source)